JOIN USCorrect imbalance in vaccine allocation for Tamil Nadu: MKS to PM
With Tamil Nadu experiencing vaccine shortage forcing it to suspend the drive every now and then, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday complained to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the state has not received vaccines in proportion to its population and asked him to “correct the imbalance.”
In a letter, Stalin told Modi that Tamil Nadu received just 302 vaccine doses per thousand eligible population and pointed out that the number is very low when compared to doses given to states like Gujarat, Karnataka, and Rajasthan. While Gujarat got 533 doses per thousand eligible population, Karnataka got 493 doses, and Rajasthan (446). Except for Rajasthan, the other two states are ruled by BJP.
Tamil Nadu, which fared poorly on the vaccination front in the first few months, picked up pace after it opened up the drive to the 18-44 age group. The state has administered 1.66 crore vaccine doses to those above 18 years of age till July 12.
The vaccination drive was suspended for a few days due to a shortage of vaccine doses and resumed once supplies were received. After a smooth run for a few days, the drive was suspended in some parts on July 13 for want of doses.
The state had also rushed its Principal Secretary (Health) Dr. J Radhakrishnan to New Delhi last week to appraise the Union Government of the state’s vaccine shortage issue.
Stalin said his government was finding it “extremely difficult” to meet the huge demand for vaccination due to a shortage of vaccine doses. “The success of my Government’s efforts to eliminate vaccine hesitancy and make the vaccination drive a mass movement now squarely rests on the doses made available to us,” he wrote in the letter.
Referring to the Union Government’s submission before the Supreme Court that states have been allocated vaccines in proportion to the population between 18-44 years of age, Stalin said Tamil Nadu has not received vaccines proportionate to its population size resulting in the current acute shortage of vaccines.
He asked the Prime Minister to “correct the imbalance” in the vaccine allocation for Tamil Nadu and make a special allocation of 1 crore vaccine doses.